It’s been labeled a witch hunt, a publicity stunt, a good way to inform the populace about invasive species, and a great way to help rid the Florida Everglades of the dreaded Burmese python, an invasive species that attacks the wildlife in the area. The 2013 Python Challenge, sanctioned by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation, probably functions a little bit like each of the above descriptions. Regardless, since the 2013 Python Challenge kicked off with a bang and plenty of news coverage on January 12, hunters have only managed to take out 37 of the pythons.
Those seem to be dismally low numbers, but apparently, it’s really hard to see those suckers in the water and undergrowth of the Everglades, where they are mostly camouflaged. Additionally, 37 is a pretty decent increase from the 21 kills the contestants had yielded only nine days ago. Organizers of the challenge announced the numbers on Tuesday, also noting that they will keep audiences posted through February 8, a date that is near the end of the contest.
The snakes that have been killed during the 2013 Python Challenge have been sent to the University of Florida for processing and studying, in order to understand the pythons and hopefully learn more about how they may be interacting with and effecting ecosystems. The challenge ends at 11:59 p.m. on February 10, 2013 and a few days later an Awareness and Awards ceremony will be held, distinguishing those who were able hunt more snakes than others.
